Fragile
by Mach56
Summary: Come on now. You think Fairy Tale is just going to let high schoolers ruin their plans without retribution? This is reality. M for blood, swearing, death in general. You have been warned. Review!
1. Ignition

**Fragile**

* * *

**Part 1: **Ignition

The leader snorted. Of all of the missions that were given to him, the task Fairy Tale had given him was surprisingly simple. Kill the kids. All of them. Even the young girl must bleed. No mercy, and the bounty would be his. Of course, he would spread it around with his fellow hitmen, but the money that would remain would surely be enough to finance his hunger for nicotine and methamphetamines for a long, looong time. He grinned.

He glanced down at his AK-47. The Kalashnikov was filled with hallow pointed bullets, designed to explode and sear the flesh of the target instead of passing right through. These bullets were designed to kill, not to incapacitate. His companions, he hoped, made the same decision. Using normal bullets against a monster, even fragile juveniles like these, would not get the job done quick enough. They needed to be on the ground, dying a painful death, not on their feet and fighting to survive until one lucky headshot was made.

That worry was quickly banished from his head. No matter. They would die all the same, professionally executed or by a hail of gunfire. It would be too easy, which made the leader so confused. Of course, he had heard of their feats, but what could they do against a slug of metal traveling a cozy 896 meters a second, with no warning?

Nothing. Before they could realize what was happening, their lives would already be forfeit. No matter how strong a monster can be, a weaker one can always sneak up behind him and fill up his head with more metal than there was brain matter. He could give a care less about Witch Summoning, Snow Maiden ice clones, or Succubi illusions. They were not prepared for battle. They would die without a chance to show their true strength.

What amused him more was his employer's weakness. They lost to high-schoolers? Of all things? He couldn't give a damn about the vampire, they could at least have installed sprinklers in the Floating Garden, didn't they? The idiocy, the sheer chance of these teenagers succeeding. The pack leader shook his head instinctively. Such a marvelous palace in the sky, such ambitious plans for a monster revolution... All gone.

The leader glanced at another companion, prone in the tall grass. They were at the border of a cliff, were the ocean crashed down below, where the sun was touching the sea and seemingly vanishing behind it. What a spectacular view this cliff must have, during boundary between day and night. When the spotter had noticed the group taking a long walk towards the cliff, the leader made no hesitation in ordering the strike, even when it was yet to be dark. It was an ample place for an ambush, the gunfire would be quieted by the cascade of water down below. Along with that, one of the companions was a vampire. One good shove, and she would tumble down to the waves below. They would toss all of the bodies after her, when the deed was done.

The leader grinned as he saw the children phase into his line of sight. With his eyes, he could see that they were his targets. They were only 300 meters away, and for insurance, he quietly checked his weapon one last time. The other hunters made no noise, waiting for their boss to fire the first round. The leader flashed a mad grin. For him, it wasn't the moment of killing that pleased him the most, it was the unknowing innocence of his targets, as they marched unwittingly to their death.

* * *

Tsukune was relieved. His math test had gone surprisingly well, thanks to the study session with Moka and Yukari, who were more than happy to lend a hand. The stress of finals had finally eased up, and he celebrated with the group at Mononoke Arcade. As they walked back to the school dorms before bed-time, Mizore insisted that they walk along the shining sea. The view was too good to pass up.

The ocean stretched out before them, benign and sparkling in a magenta hue. Tsukune felt a huge wave of relief and calm pass through him. Life was opening up for them, and...

"Tsukune? Helloooo?" Kurumu said.

"Oh! Yeah, Kurumu?" Tsukune replied quickly, snapping out of the daze.

"Geez, silly. You have to pay attention! I mean, I could've fallen back there and you would've kept walking!" Kurumu said in a pouting tone.

"Sorr-"

"I mean, of all of the times! I'm sitting here, worrying about my test, and you go off looking at the horizon! What's so special happening over there?"

"But-"

"No buts! Thats not how you treat your girlfriend!"

"Now wait a moment!" Tsukune said desperately.

"Yeah, hold on there Kurumu. I think you've crossed the line. Again." Mizore said with a nonchalant stare.

"No, crossing the line would be something like _this_." Kurumu said, hugging Tsukune tightly and forcing her chest to press up against his.

"Point taken." Mizore said, "That's more like it."

"H- Hold on!" Tsukune stammered, split between trying to find a way to break free of Kurumu's embrace, or trying not to show the embarrassment that was visible on his face.

"I won't wait Tsukune. You're being unfaithful. Again." Mizore said, allowing the air around her to suddenly take a massive dive in temperature.

"No, Mizore, allow me." Yukari sighed, summoning a common frying pan to land on Kurumu's head. Kurumu quickly covered her head and messaged it, glowering at Yukari.

"Really, I'd prefer being frozen then to have a little child like you drop cooking sets on me." Kurumu muttered.

"Oh, my mistake. Mizore, please freeze the cow, after all, that's what she prefers." Yukari said in a mocking tone.

"Oh, come on guys, why are we going to do this on such a great day?" Moka intervened. "We've all finished our tests, we're nearing the end of our second year!"

"Y- Yeah!" Tsukune said, cursing himself for the awkwardness. "We've been having such a good time, why ruin it now?"

"Well..." Kurumu pouted "I just don't want to be all ignored and all."

"Come on!" Tsukune laughed, stretching his arms around Kurumu. "Why the heck would I ignore you?"

"Tsukune..." Mizore said in a dark tone, as the air got cold once more.

"With that said..." Tsukune said nervously, letting go of Kurumu. "I'm-"

He never finished.

Tsukune could only watch as suddenly, in a twisted, surreal, fashion as the bushes in front of them seemed to catch fire. The first round clipped him in the shoulder, two more slammed into his stomach. Countless others scratched his frame, and lodged into his chest. As Tsukune fell to his knees, the only thing he wanted to do was close his eyes. But he was not granted such luxury. He watched.

Tsukune watched Mizore stumbled backward as a bullet lodged into her throat, 2 found her way into her stomach and another slammed into her lungs. She simply fell backwards, unable to lift a hand to help her friends. All her face was blank as it always was, unable to comprehend what had just occurred.

Moka was near the edge of the cliff. Clipped in the shoulder, and as more bullets tore through her flesh, she stumbled, and fell. Tsukune stared at her disappear over the ledge, there was nothing he could have done. But the moment Moka disappeared from his eyes, the guilt suffocated him and his sight grew fuzzy.

Yukari stumbled and lay lifeless behind Tsukune. He never noticed her fall. Such a young, innocent girl was now corrupted by lead bullets that knew no mercy. Tsukune was numb now.

Kurumu was the last to fall. She had stood next to Moka, by the ledge. When Tsukune first fell, Kurumu tried to shield him, in a self-less display of love. But instead of being a shield, she was pushed back by the impact of the metal slugs, and could only watch Tsukune kneel to the ground as she too fell off the cliff, down to the ocean below.

For a few spare moments, Tsukune couldn't see, the colors bled into one another, and the dull, cold pain of the metal within him seemed more and more distant, except where some bullets had exploded and ripped into his flesh. Blood spilled out of his mouth, so that all he could taste was heat and metal. Tsukune could only hear his heartbeat, a slow, painful, hammer that seemed to hurt more than anything else. He couldn't seem to grasp reality and time, or understand his thoughts. They seemed to spiral out of control, thoughts he never thought he was capable of.

_Damn them. God damn it. All of it. They'll fucking pay. _

Suddenly, Tsukune could see. He saw the attackers now, standing out of the bush and sauntering towards him and his fallen comrades.

_Fuck them. They're going to all die. DAMN IT._

Tsukune could feel the pain of the bullets again, lodged in his body, burning and stinging.

_They're going to die. Fuck it. They're dead. I'll kill them._

He heard once more, acute enough to hear the sudden intake of breath when he stood up.

_Closest one. Come_ **_here_.**

He spat out the blood that had collected in his mouth. The pain was gone now, he felt a sudden rush of warmth and power as he started to walk towards the nearest attacker. The banter stopped as the ambushers realized something wasn't going as planned.

_I'm going to kill them._

The attackers backed up, their guns came up again, but by then they were far, far to late. Tsukune no longer thought, no longer cared. The only thing that came to mind was one simple goal.

_Kill._

* * *

Everything had gone well until the kid stood up. The Vampire was dead, and so were his friends. He stood alone. The leader stood back and opened fire, the others following suite. He grimaced as the boy simply sidestepped the projectiles and was suddenly holding one his men by the throat. The leader had no time for sympathy, expertly readjusted his aim. This was not going according to plan. He could not allow a ghoul to start picking off his men one by one. The freak needed to die, _now_.

In a flash, the boy disappeared once more, and putting distance between the leader and himself. The leader move to fire once more, as the boy nonchalantly put his arm through his victim. The mercenary screamed in fear and pain. The leader payed no mind, trying to hit the ghoul. But the ghoul held the body as a shield to soak up the bullets, and in another moment, quieted the screaming man by tearing his head off. Blood drenched the boy's clothes.

The leader swallowed quietly, irritated by the sloppy and messy death. The ghoul dramatized everything, going to the extremes and using flashy moves, it left so many openings and faults in it's movement. Easy.

...Yet, for some god damn reason, the leader could not seem to hurt it. _But that's not fucking possible._ The leader swore. _We have the advantage._ _Why the fuck is it teasing us? Its only one god-damn ghoul._

The leader had killed a lot of ghouls in his lifespan, when friends OD'd and went mad with the drugs coursing through their veins. He had killed them all, this one wouldn't be different. He was not going to let some mindless freak intimidate him with flashy decapitations.

"Why the fuck did you guys not get hollow points?" He yelled, never taking his aim off of the monster. He felt sick, quick to blame others for what was about to happen. "For fucks sakes! You people are fucking shit! Reload, everyone hit the damn thing at once! I'm covering you."

The men grinned and began to reload. The Leader suddenly was in cold sweat. These idiots were going to kill him. They didn't understand, they weren't experienced for shit. They didn't take the situation seriously. And suddenly, he knew that he didn't take it seriously enough too. He swore.

The ghoul simply stood there, seemingly glaring down at the men, but The Leader saw that its eyes were focused on something far away, as if it was looking past them. Lost in thought.

_What the fuck? Ghouls can't think, they fight, kill, eat, shit, and die. This is nothing. _The man thought. But deep down, he knew better.

Suddenly, it lifted its right arm and began to inspect it. The Leader nearly jumped backwards, but experience kept him steady, even though his heart was pounding. The Leader saw the glint of metal and realized the Ghoul was staring at a seal.

The Leader was staring too, in disbelief. _Ghouls are stupid. They don't know about seals. They can't even swim if they needed to._

But he knew better.

_This can't be. Oh fuck. No, its a god-damn ghoul. Shit._

The ghoul grabbed the bracelet-like seal with its left hand. The men had finished reloading and aimed once, and once again stood ready, waiting for the order to fire. The Leader suddenly knew that this was a losing fight.

_Oh shit, nonononono...Fuck. FUCK..._FUCK! PULL BACK!

The ghoul ripped the seal off, and suddenly the men were rooted in their spots as a sudden wave of Youki emendated from the freak. The Leader and some others shook it off and were gone, but some stayed in confusion, others simply unable to shake off the pressure that suddenly landed on their backs.

The ghoul smiled.

* * *

Author's Note:

Hehe, tried something dark, as you see. Don't worry. This is by far the end. I have it all planned out...

*Laughs maniacally*

So yes, reviews would be sorely appreciated.

For those who are waiting impatiently for my update of my other story, I'm working on it. I've recently had to deal with a whole bunch of real-life distractions and writers block. I apologize.

Soon, I hope to be a lot more productive with my stories. Right now things are slow, but I'm chugging along. Soon enough I'll catch a nice good pace. Patience is a virtue, readers. I know its hard.


	2. Fragile

**Fragile**

* * *

**Part 2: **Frozen

Mizore was the first to fall when the ambush occurred. She was also the first to do something. She knew she would bleed to death or choke with a bullet lodged in her throat, and felt the burning of the other bullets that had pierced her frame, and knew that she was in a very bad position. No shit, right?

Everything was so loud that she couldn't hear, she was caught up in a storm, and it felt like everything was useless. She couldn't do anything to save her friends. For all she knew, they were dead like she was.

But she was far from dead.

And she was far from giving up.

She wasn't going to accept this. She was not going to die like this. She had no intention to let these people just walk away with so much blood on their hands. Kurumu certainly wouldn't accept it.

So, even with all of the noise and madness that erupted around her, Mizore grew calm. Fighting the dull weight that was grasping her body, she pulled on her youki. Ice particles sprang into action, sealing the throat wound and facilitating the healing process that was already underway. Monster metabolism at its best. Even better, the blood remained, giving the appearance of a fallen maiden, not one who was up to scheming.

She payed no mind to what happened around her, and she was glad of that. She had no heart, no desire to watch her friends cut down so heartlessly. She couldn't bare to see their emotionless faces. Luckily, her exhaustion with her struggle against blood-loss blurred her vision, and her mind was occupied, fighting the sinking darkness in her mind that she could only identify as her death. The nightmare continued what seemed like hours, but in reality, it took a minute until the storm seemed to pass. She opened her eyes.

Mizore soaked in what was happening, not moving, to make her activities obvious and known to her attackers. Her eyes flickered around and saw that Moka and Kurumu were gone. And saw Yukari lying still a couple of feet away from her. She raised her head a bit, knowing that could attract attention. Luckly, Tsukune was keeping them busy.

_Damn. _Mizore thought as Tsukune ripped off one of the attackers heads. There was some sadistic satisfaction to witness retribution, but Mizore knew this was no time for celebration. Tsukune had lost it, and nobody was there to help him.

Nobody? She was right there. She had to do something. If Moka was in her position, she'd be running to Tsukune's side.

_Come on._ She wanted to move, she wanted to show Tsukune that everything was alright, that he didn't need to be like this, that everything was going to be fine. Grief tore a hole in her as she thought of Yukari. Of course she wouldn't be able to do that. Not without the others.

Mizore heard the tallest of the group start a long verbal, frantic, angry diatribe about how stupid his grunts were, and then ordered them to reload. She saw how Tsukune backed up further and stood, saw the distance in his eyes.

Then he rose his right arm. The men didn't seem to know it, but Mizore knew very well what was going to happen.

_Oh no. _Mizore thought. _No, don't do it. You don't need to__._

Tsukune, oblivious to her thoughts, grasping the seal with his left hand.

Mizore knew she had to do something, she needed to warn him, to speak to him, to be seen by him. She couldn't stand and do nothing...

...So, grasping her slowly returning strength, Mizore forced out two words. "Tsukune... Don't.."

Her whisper was drowned out by the frantic yells of the leader, crying out to his minions to retreat. Her plea never reached Tsukune's ears. God, if only she could scream it, but she couldn't find the air to do it.

He ripped of the seal, letting it fall to the ground, and grinned madly as the remaining mercenaries struggled to free themselves of the new presence.

Tsukune followed up with an inhuman howl and the Youki that swept out from him froze Mizore. The darkness of the Youki was so corrupt Mizore felt as if she couldn't breath, she pulled back and attempted to crawl farther from Tsukune on instinct. This _thing _was no different from Alucard. And potentially much worse. A thinking ghoul? Really, how could things get worse?

Luckily, Tsukune was busy slaughtering the others. People tried to fire, but the demon didn't seem to care if the bullets hit him or not. It made a beeline towards one man. The man begun to fire his weapon madly as he started to back up. And in a second, the ghoul had him by the throat with one arm, and a hand embedded in his stomach with the other. In the next second, the ghoul casually ripped through the mans throat and dropped him on the ground, charging at another victim, while the struggling mercenary tried to live. He didn't.

Mizore couldn't think. The corrupt pressure kept her locked in place. All of the most terrifying things seemed to come back to her, as if the being in front of her was a manifestation of her worst nightmare. Suddenly, she no longer wanted to see this being in front of her. She was sick of it, of everything. This wasn't Tsukune. He was long gone.

For some reason this thought hurt her more than anything this day. Who was she kidding? Everyone was dead, Tsukune was dead, she really never stood a chance. Nobody would survive this.

And finally the ghoul acknowledged her presence, as the last mercenary fell at his feet. Some tried strength, some tried speed, but the monster overran and overpowered them all. Mizore could only cower as it strode toward her. Maybe if she hadn't sat up, it would've went on its merry way. But what was the point? It didn't matter anymore.

Now Mizore was crying. All she had done to this point was pointless. She was fucked. And she was going to die by the hands of someone she used to love. She had nothing else to do but dwell in her own sorrow.

The monster stood over her, four feet away, glaring down at the blood soaked Snow Maiden. For 5 blissful seconds, Mizore held her breath in apprehension. She couldn't move if she wanted to. She was frozen, locked in place, staring up at the being that had ruined everything. She stared the damn monster right in its vampiric irises, and for a moment, she felt nothing but hatred and fear, and it gave her strength to speak.

"Fuck you." Mizore said in a frustrated, pained voice.

The ghoul, never letting up with it's stare, and strode forward, placing a foot on Mizore's chest. Slowly but surely, it put more and more pressure on her in a sadistic display of power. It grinned once more as Mizore tried to struggle under it's weight.

Mizore looked helplessly into the monster's eyes, with nothing but anger and grief. The pressure kept her from talking, so instead she spoke with her eyes. A good translation would be: "_Fuck you god damn it. Just do it already you piece of-"_

Suddenly the ghoul raised it's second foot in the air, putting all of it's weight on Mizore's chest, cutting her thoughts short. For a moment in time, it seemed like it would finish the job with a stomp to the head. But the foot continued to pass over her head, carrying the ghoul forward and into the bush beyond, leaving the Snow Maiden there to drown in her blood and hate.

* * *

_What the hell happened here? Why did the ghoul just walk over Mizore and go on its merry way? What the hell will Mizore do? And if Mizore survived, can we really say that the harem is "dead"? _

_More shall be revealed in the next installment of "_Fragile_"!_

_**Author's note (kinda special)**_:

I've made a resolution, I'd like you to hear it. From now on, I will no longer update 1 chapter at a time, on both of the fictions I'm crunching on. Just a bother to deal with that suspense, for you guys. I know you'd like for this series to end as soon as possible so you won't have to deal with the drama, so I'll help you along by updating in pairs, so cliffhangers stop getting at you guys.


	3. Free Fallin'

**Fragile**

* * *

**Part 3: Free-Fallin'**

While Mizore was dealing with her crisis up above, Kurumu and Moka their own problems. Let us recall that both of the girls were hit multiple times, and were sent tumbling over the cliff at the very start of the ambush. Obviously, Moka would die once she connected with the water, which greedily saps vampiric life-force and shocks the victim at the same time, and the sheer impact of the waves would most likely knock Kurumu unconscious and crash her into the canyon wall. Like a bullet to the neck, both girls were in a **_very_** disadvantageous position.

So, of course, everything came down to Kurumu, the only one of the two who could fly and avert such a catastrophe. Problem was, she had been hit numerous times in the chest and back. It hurt to breath and she was in a daze, hallucinating for a period of time. Pictures seemed to fade in and out of her eyesight, almost like her whole life was flashing through her head.

_Great. The life montage. _Kurumu thought lazily.

Meeting Tsukune and the others...applying to Youkai Academy... the first time she charmed a boy (when she was only 9 years old, Ageha was so proud!).

A few seconds later, a certain memory replayed itself for Kurumu. The first time she spread her wings as a Succubus. Not unlike birds, her mother just put her out on a ledge and told her to fly.

"But mommy-" Kurumu whined. "I don't wann-"

"Kurumu, my dear." Ageha interrupted in a warm tone, "You're a Succubus. We pride ourselves as the masters of love and seduction, but often forget our gift of flight. Don't be afraid, this is what you were meant to do."

"But-" Kurumu said.

"Now, this is a ample place to take off." Ageha cut in, "A cliff right by the ocean. The updraft here is phenomenal, with the ocean breeze, why, I bet a rock could be able to fly off of this wind current!"

"Buh-" Kurumu said as she tried again.

"Just never try to fight gravity alone, dear. Use the wind to fight it, not your wings. Find a current and let your heart do the rest!" Ageha continued as she pushed her daughter out off the cliff.

The fall made Kurumu cry out in fear, almost made her freeze up and almost curl up into a ball right then and there. She frantically called on her wings and suddenly, without warning, the wind gathered underneath her wings and carried her up. The salt spray of the waves drenched her made her eyes sting. She had been able to level out before crashing, gliding a mere 4 meters above the waves.

Yet she was able to do it, able to level off and glide for a while before turning around and crashing into the beach. She glided almost effortlessly, even if her heart threatened to burst out of her chest. She remembered how every single time she was able to glide a bit farther, fly a bit higher, and land a bit more daintily.

For some reason, Kurumu's heart warmed up to that memory. Even when she thought she couldn't, her heart and body thought differently. They took the challenge with ease, no matter how harrowing it was. It was always her brain that had pulled her back.

The memory faded and was replaced by reality and as the ocean roared below and Kurumu finally could think again.

_Oh man_. The drop was formidable. They had already dropped 50 meters. In 160 meters, she had to cling onto Moka and somehow pull out of a dive. And at her weakened condition thanks to numerous bullets lodged in her frame, Kurumu didn't know if her body could take the strain. Obviously, she could not miraculously fly back up to the top of the cliff, especially with Moka as weight. She would have to glide.

...To where? There was no land in sight. Either she could try to fly up and fall back into the ocean as her body gave in, or try to prolong the impact. Either way Moka would drown.

10 out of 10 analysis. Right out of left field, with little time wasted. _Call me a dumb cow now, Yukari_. Kurumu thought angrily.

140 meters. Kurumu called upon her wings, and they sprung out from her back. Immediately, pain shot up through her entire body. Somewhere, a bullet was interfering with one of her wing joints.

_Wonderful~_

So trying to fly up was even more suicidal. She could tear something or a joint could freeze up and she could spiral out of control. She could smash into the cliff and cause lethal damage to herself, and **then** fall to the ocean below.

110 meters.

Ignoring the pain, Kurumu folded her wings and pointed herself into the wind, making her more aerodynamic and speeding her up. Moka seemed limp, only a few feet below her.

Somehow the bullets caused no pain, but rather a sluggish lethargy in Kurumu. Only the stubborn damage in her joint seemed to keep her awake. Somehow Kurumu clung to the hope that everything up above was fine, and that Ruby would soon arrive to heal everyone's wounds. Even though Ruby was never alerted of the ambush. But sometimes you don't have time to think critically.

90 meters and she grabbed hold of Moka. Now she let her wings expand and point into the wind. Gliding was the only option, since trying to stay aloft without the wind would be impossible.

75 meters, and Kurumu began to cut into the fall. Her right wing joint screamed bloody murder as Moka's weight became apparent, but she was determined not to falter, not to let go. She couldn't lose this wind, she could not break into a dive again, because it would be impossible to level out before hitting the water. No turning back now.

70 meters and Kurumu started to slant upwards. Her only solution was by far the riskiest. Both gliding and flying were out of the question. So climbing would have to suffice. Her endurance was already failing her and her right wing felt unnatural and terrifyingly loose.

Kurumu did her best to soften her collision with the cliff, but she could not slow down without putting too much strain on her wings. She collided on the wall head on, in a cleft that seemed to be rife with holds and grips. She reached her one arm upwards, letting it roughly impact the wall as she and Moka fell. Luckily, only half a second to spare before the cliff wall was out of reach again, Kurumu found a hold. She braced for the jerk of a sudden decrease in velocity.

Most lassies would not bear to hold onto a grip with their right hand, defying gravity, whilst holding another person with their left hand. But Kurumu wasn't a normal lass. She was a monster for crying out loud.

But despite her monster bloodline, she was losing blood from various bullet wounds and was not some troll with ridiculous strength. Her face and body where also torn up and bruised by her collision with the cliff, and her hand was torn and bleeding. Her grip was already slipping. Kurumu could only swear when she lost it and continued to fall to the ocean below.

But we can't ignore Moka, can we?

Moka, who was seemingly unconscious, was very much awake. She had taken initiative in that moment and had grabbed hold of a grip as well. Now roles were reversed, with Kurumu dangling, and Moka as the lifeline.

This time, the lifeline was a vampire, and even though bullets caused her much pain, her blood had already begun to seal the gaps and cut the bleeding. Monster metabolism is good, but vampiric metabolism was second to nothing. Her strength could do the task that Kurumu could not.

"Kurumu!" Moka coughed, shaken by the impact and obviously in pain. "Grab onto something!"

Kurumu oblidged, finding another grip and letting her feet slip into some cracks.

"I'm good! Now you!" Kurumu called, surprised at the hoarse sound of her voice.

A minute later and both girls were clinging onto the cliff and planning ahead, as their strength returned and their heart rates fell to normal levels.

"What was that!" Kurumu said over the crashing of the ocean below. "What the hell happened up there?"

"It doesn't matter," Moka shouted back "We need to get up there!"

Kurumu nodded. She looked up and saw the long climb ahead.

"If you ever need to break-" Moka started.

"No." Kurumu said. "I can make it. My metabolism will stop the bleeding and patch my wounds and I'll be able to climb without a problem. Yukari can heal us up 100% later."

Both girls felt their hearts sink. Did Yukari survive such an onslaught?

Moka nodded absentmindedly. Her eyes drifting. Kurumu nearly had to poke her eyes to get her attention.

"Whats the matter?" Kurumu said impatiently.

"I don't know. Its just I have this feeling. Something b-"

"Its the adrenaline, and anyhow, we just got ambushed. Of course you'd feel "Something bad". Lets move!"

Moka nodded, and their long, silent climb began. Even though neither girl spoke, they both knew what awaited them at the summit. The question was, what would they do?

* * *

_...And thus Kurumu and Moka narrowly escape death. First they need to climb the cliff, but by then, what other sort of events might take place? Where the heck is Ruby, Gin and the others when you need them? And what to do about Tsukune?_

_Naturally, stay tuned for the next chapter of_ "Fragile"!_  
_

...Oh yeah, the next chapter is up. Go nuts.


	4. Game Plan

**Part 4: Game Plan**

_Now that the initial shock is over, our heroines and our villains review the situation and come up with their plans. Meanwhile, the demon continues to prowl._

* * *

Mizore felt the tracks of the tears on her cheeks as she finally stood up. After 2 minutes recuperating and shouting curses, she realized the ghoul would not come back and end her suffering.

The crash of the waves echoed below as she took in the scene, from the blood of their enemies to the glittering of ammunition casings.

Her eyes finally fell on Yukari. The young girl was still on the ground. Mizore bent over the girl, pushing her hair over her forehead.

"Yukari..." Mizore said in a resigned tone. Such a young girl, to be shot down so mercilessly... Once again, she felt abandoned, lost, and alone. Everyone else was dead, what could she have done? It was all pointless now, there was nothing left to do but-

"So they're gone?" Yukari replied.

Mizore nearly screamed. "WHAT THE..."

"Chill out Mizore." Yukari said, smirking grimly at her play of words. "I'm no ghost."

"But..."

"How am I alive? Come on, really?"

"But you were shot!"

"Oh, yeah, sure. Any proof?"

"But you..." Mizore started to understand.

"Thank you. I dived behind Tsukune, or rather, slumped. I played possum and everyone fell for it. "

"How could you stand by and do nothing?" Mizore said angrily.

"Tell me, Mizore, what would I do? I'm not like you, Moka, or Kurumu. Hit me above my waist and I'm a goner." Yukari said with equal frustration. "Would you have wanted me to stay still and die?"

"God damn it Yukari..." Mizore muttered. "I just..."

"I know. I feel like crap too. But I knew I couldn't do anything." Yukari said bitterly. "I couldn't stop him."

"You didn't even try-" Mizore started, but she stopped herself. She could see the red in Yukari's eyes. This wasn't a moment to berate her.

"Anyway, what can we do? Moka and Kurumu are gone." Yukari spat.

Mizore was surprised at Yukari's frustration. While she dwelled in sorrow, Yukari was possessed by some raging fury. The recent events have made such an impact, have done so much emotional damage...But Mizore was beyond that. Some wild hope made her heart beat quicker, if Yukari had survived...

Mizore walked over to the cliff, holding her breath in apprehension. She didn't want to see them dead, but how could she just walk away? She could at least hope.

"What are you doing?" Yukari said angrily.

"Come on Yukari, if you were lucky enough, maybe.."

"Seriously? You think they survived? **Wake up.** This isn't some god-damn fairy tale that spares every single-"

"**SHUT UP** Yukari!" Mizore screamed with joy. "They're there, come on, we gotta help them!"

Cupping her mouth, Mizore shouted "**KURUMU! MOKA! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?**"

* * *

Moka and Kurumu snapped out of their silence. They were struggling up the cliff wall, scared stiff about the fear of loose holds and the water below. Staring up 90 meters, they saw Mizore and Yukari.

"Well isn't that fucking great." Kurumu panted, tearing up with relief. "**YEAH!**"

With the knowledge that they were not alone, the ladies felt stronger and no longer felt fear. Invigorated with hope, their climb quickened as they raced to reach their friends.

* * *

"Holy crap." Yukari breathed. A second later she was hugging Mizore out of relief.

For a moment they hugged each other tightly, savoring their victory. No matter how slim the odds, somehow all of Tsukune's friends survived the encounter.

Needless to say, our ladies were all very, **Very**, happy.

* * *

Meanwhile, our mercenaries were **very**, _**VERY**_, angry.

Especially the leader. 10 minutes after a strong sprint, the leader turned to a halt and checked his weapons. A second later, 10 others appeared beside him.

"Nobody else?" The leader said quietly.

"No, Yuuta- I mean, boss." One of the elder mercenaries stammered.

Yuuta considered blowing a hole in the dumbass's head right then and there. Stammering names in the mercenary business was not a good move. Anonymity was everything in the business.

"I think someone was following me," a younger man stammered. "The lizard man. But I think he ditched."

"I know him. He'll be dead after we finish this." Yuuta muttered. Then he grinned, his fury thinly concealed. "I guess now we get more from the bounty, now that the others are dead!"

Most of the mercenaries laughed uncertainly. The older and smarter said nothing, only grinned tightly.

Yuuta pointed to the young man. "Give me your weapon."

"Why? I don't-"

Yuuta, on a flash, drew a pistol and held it towards the mercenaries face. "Give me your damn weapon." He said quietly.

The mood was much different now. Even though they were running from a demon with no heart, the young man trembled at his leader's ferocity. Shaking, he quietly relinquished his Kalashnikov.

Yuuta put the gun down and expertly emptied the gun's ammunition compartment. He took a moment observing the ammunition cartridges. Slowly, he shook his head. He took a single bullet out and brought it inches from the young man's face.

"What is this shit?" He asked quietly.

"Its... Uh... Its a bullet..." The young man stammered. His fear was starting to show. He knew he was in a bad place.

Yuuta shook his head. Idiot. "Its a bullet? That's it?" He asked in a patronizing tone.

"What... What the fuck? Its a bullet. So what?" The young man said angrily, reacting to the sudden claustrophobia.

With that, Yuuta expertly reloaded the assault rife, and fired two shots directly in the man's right leg.

"AHHHHH! **Damn! What the fuck?**" The mercenary cried.

Yuuta knelt next to his victim, ignoring him. "These, my friend, are ordinary bullets. When you hunt monsters, you **never** allow error. You **never** show weakness. You use **hollow points**. Did I not send an email about that?" The last question was directed to the group. Some of them nodded, some of them avoided eye contact.

"Now, I have a trove, as I always do. Contingency Plan. Back at our base, I have high powered rifles and hollow point rounds to go with. You..." Yuuta turned back to the unfortunate mercenary, "Are our bait. We'll move quickly, you need to move slow, entice the freak, bring him to us. Keep him interested in following us."

"This isn't fair!" The young main wailed. "I won't make it!"

"For your sake, I hope you do," Yuuta said, grinning coldly. "Its only 10 miles more into the forest. You get to the clearing and we'll do the rest. Think of the _**money**_."

He turned his back to the frightened mercenary. "Oh yes, don't make to much noise. Don't be sloppy like you were when you chose your bullets. You'll be caught easily if you do that."

The mercenary could only whimper as Yuuta and the others melted into the brush. Behind him, he could feel the cold of the ghoul as it came closer, smelling blood. He struggled to his feet and stumbled into the brush, ignoring the pain in his leg the best he could, desperate to avoid what lay behind him, frightened of what lay ahead.

* * *

Moments after they left, as they were running, Yuuta ran next to the man who mentioned his name. " I thought you knew better. Never say my name again. Don't be a hinderance, _**Keith**_."

"I'm sorry, boss." The mercenary said quietly.

"I thought that after all of the hits we've done you wouldn't have made such a mistake. Looks like I underestimated your stupidity."

"Look, _Boss_," Keith muttered angrily. "I said I'm sorry. What do you want from me?"

"I want you to be smarter." Yuuta said. "Don't do it again."

"Fine." Keith said.

Other mercenaries were still struggling to accept what just happened. Suddenly their boss was more messed up than Gyokuro when she was in power.

"So... Uh, boss? What happens if he dies before he draws the monster to the clearing?" One of the mercenaries asked timidly.

Yuuta laughed. "_**Well, then I'm to check somebody's gun.**_" He said with venom in his words.

Silence was his answer.

* * *

Back with the ladies, Mizore finally let go of Yukari to help Kurumu and Moka clamber back onto solid ground. They discussed their tales while Yukari treated to their wounds with magic.

"...and thats how Moka saved my butt after I saved hers." Kurumu finished.

"Great stuff." Moka sighed. "Now what do we do for Tsukune?"

The other girls noticed she was holding Tsukune's Holy Lock in her hands, weaving it around her fingers.

"...I dunno. The locks off, right? Doesn't that mean he's gone for good?" Kurumu muttered quietly.

"That's what the director said, at least." Mizore said quietly.

"But can't we put it back on?" Moka insisted, "Why wouldn't that work?"

"Because, baka, seals don't work like that. Now that Tsukune's bonkers the seal won't have an effect." Kurumu said in an solemn tone.

"Actually..." Yukari said. "It may still have the effect we need."

All eyes on Yukari!

"But that seal was for restraining the ghoul personality, and Moka's blood. Now that the blood is in full effect, you would need to seal it." Mizore said.

"But you don't get it. We thought that the seal was meant to stop it, but suddenly Tsukune was able to bring power from it, release it. It was meant to soften its integration. Wasn't Mikogami using Tsukune as a vector to bring down Hokuto and the anti-schoolers?" Yukari said.

"Yeah... So your saying the seal was supposed to slow his infection and allow him to subdue it?" Moka said.

"I guess. And now with your account Mizore, it makes sense." Yukari said.

"My..?" Mizore said in confusion.

"You said the ghoul stepped on you and then kept walking?"

"Yeah, the fucking thing just walked on me like I was a rock."

"But it looked at you, right?"

"Makes no difference!"

"It _**does**. _I've been studying ghouls and their psychology."

"When..." Kurumu said.

"... I'm a genius remember? Like summoning, it was a easy."

The rest of the ladies sighed. Obviously.

"I'll be simple. Ghouls are mindless creatures that feast on the dead, yadda yadda. They run purely on adrenaline and instinct. Right?"

Nods all around. Even Kurumu knew that.

"But when Tsukune became a ghoul, it **_knew _**about the seal. **_It knew about sealing_ _techniques_.** It knew it was being restrained by it. It was no idiot. This thing had intelligence."

Silence.

"When it saw Mizore, covered in blood, and when it stepped on her and she didn't respond aggressively, it assumed that Mizore was going to kick the bucket any minute and didn't bother... No offense Mizore, you really need to find another shirt"

"None taken." Mizore said in her usual monotone. "But you weren't hit by a bullet. I couldn't help myself. I had to bleed." The last part had some sarcasm.

"Whatever. So my thought is this. Since the ghoul has intelligence, Tsukune isn't completely braindead, his mind hasn't necrotized like a usual ghoul."

"Wait, you mean the other times Tsukune's undergone a ghoul breakout..." Moka started.

"Yes, your blood reacted in his head and started to turn it into mush. That's what happens during ghoulification." Yukari said blatantly. "But this time its different. Tsukune is still in there, as it seems that his brain cells have some resistance to the blood now. Thats what the seal has been doing, allowed his human cells to develop resistance. I don't know how long it will last though."

"...So all we need to do is get him to where the seal again?" Kurumu said.

"Its our best shot. And if we knock it out good, I think Tsukune might be able to come back to his senses. At least he is still in there. But remember, it knows about the seal, and how it is a threat. It will know our intentions if it sees us with the Holy Lock." Yukari said.

"But why didn't it throw it off the cliff? Get it somewhere far away?" Mizore said.

"I said it had intelligence. I didn't say it was smart." Yukari smirked.

"Okay, Yukari, you go get Gin and the others. We're going to need everyone for this." Moka said.

"Bu-"

"No buts. You shouldn't be put in danger. We wouldn't want you to get hurt. You're fragile compared to the rest of us. Kurumu can trail Tsukune by flying and Mizore can freeze him if we need to escape. And I'm a vampire. I can at least take a few hits."

"But that isn't fair!"

"Once you get Gin and the rest then you can come. But **_please _**be careful" Moka said.

"...Fine."

**End Chapter**

* * *

_Now we get to see the much anticipated arrival of the rest of the cast! Kokoa to Ruby, all shall join in the effort to stop Tsukune! Meanwhile, the ghoul closes in on our poor, poor mercenary._

**Author's Note:**

There ya go. Two chapters. Fun stuff. Very interesting stuff too. Finally I can stop writing about how they survive and writing about how they'll kick some arse!

I hope you enjoyed. Please drop a review! Every time you write a review, I give my cat a treat. Be nice to my cat and write a review!

P.S. You know about my other FF? Well, its in hatius. Trying to figure out what to do with it. So yeah.


	5. Recon

**Part 5: Recon**

_Both sides start their move. Our poor mercenary continues to run onward, as the two groups close in on each other._

* * *

Gin always thought himself unlucky. He had gotten in trouble with Nekonome-sensei (for reasons you can guess) and was currently carrying a box of books to the school library. He was minding his own business when Yukari had barreled into him, panting and yelling about some attack on a cliff. He groaned as he bent down to pick up the spilled books.

"Again? Who is it? Anti-Thesis? The darn School Protection Squad? You guys don't always need me for everything you-"

"**SHUT** **UP!**" Yukari yelled.

"Okay."

"We were attacked by Fairy Tale and we need everyone's help **NOW**..."

The usual explanation later, Gin was sprinting throughout the school, snagging Fong-Fong by the collar of his uniform, and Kokoa by the leg. He arrived at the entrance of school and tossed them in the general direction of Yukari. One minute later and he arrive carrying Ruby in both arms and a red mark on his face. He set her down gently and immediately created distance from her.

"I wish you would stop being such a freaking perv all of the time" Yukari grumbled. "This is hardly the time."

"But it was an accident! A slip of the hand! **Seriously**!" Gin insisted.

"...Hardly." Ruby said maliciously.

"Forget it. You folks wouldn't believe me anyhow." Gin sighed. "Lets just get on with the freakin' thing. So you say Tsukune has totally lost it, right?"

"Yeah, but we may bring him back if we force him to wear the seal."

"But there are also mercenaries out there in the forest too." Kokoa cut in.

"Yes, we may have to fight-"

"And apparently the monster is freaking smart." Fong-Fong added.

"**Yes, **but not that smart." Yukari groaned.

"Smart enough to use Tsukune's Youki channels and perform techniques?" Ruby inquired.

A moment of silence settled on the group.

"Uh..." Yukari stammered.

"Lets not focus on that," Gin said, taking control. "Me and Fong-Fong, since we're speedy, will cut through and track Tsukune, while you guys meet up with Moka and the others. Ruby, take to the skies, but stay low and below tree level since those mercenaries are out there, and they have guns. Stay sharp and make sure nothing trails you. Kokoa and Yukari, stick with Ruby. I want this to be quick and easy. No problems. Got it?"

"Yessir" Fong-Fong chirped. The others nodded.

And so our cast of secondary characters were upgraded into primary characters as they moved to assist our ladies and save Tsukune from doing crazy things he may regret later on in life. More on this squad of later folks!

* * *

Meanwhile, our mercenaries have now reached the clearing and have spent time making sure their new rifles (the Polish Bor rifle) were fitted with custom hollow point rounds. They weren't going to make the same mistake again. Yuuta was patiently waiting, all the time keeping focus their bait's Youki. His Youki fluttered erratically, showing the emotion and state of panic he was in. The dark Youki of the monster was not far behind, menacingly following at a relentless pace.

Yuuta smiled, everything according to plan.

"Okay gents, the trap is almost sprung. Get into a semicircle. Once the monster closes for the kill we go for the head. _The head_. Not the _arms_. Not the _chest. The **head**._ Got it children?" Yuuta growled.

The mercenaries winced. It seems that their boss didn't forget about the mistakes of their first attempt.

"Boss" The mercenary Keith grumbled, staring through the scope of his rifle with a scowl. "I think you're missing something."

"What is it?" Yuuta grumbled.

"I was just checking out my scopes and I swore I saw that blue-haired chick. She was flying just over the trees in the forest."

"You've got to be kidding me." Yuuta swore, as he closed his eyes mustering his power. "**Sense.**"

Through his power, Yuuta sent his mind far and wide, using his Youki sensors to the fullest extent. His kind were designed for tracking prey, so no Youki was undetected.

He first noted the mass of energy that radiated from the academy, using it as a landmark. From the academy, 5 dots were entering the forest, two groups, one heading towards the ghoul and the other headed for three other beings. These beings were already deep in the forest. Both groups were trailing the massive presence which was the ghoul with about 1 mile distance. The ghoul was only about one and a half miles away from their position, a half a mile behind the frantic bait.

"**Come ON!**" Yuuta screamed in anger. "They're all alive? **ALL OF THEM?** Really? WHAT THE HELL?"

The mercenaries cringed. This didn't look good for them.

He wheeled around to his subordinates. "You people fucking SUCK! For fucks sakes they're all there, happy as clams! How could you not kill **_one _**of those brats?"

One member spoke up in self defense. "Why didn't **you**?" he growled.

Yuuta ignored him, furious at the change of events, and furious at the truth in the mercenaries words. "The plan stays. But if any of those brats get near us, the closest person deals with them _**immediately**._ Everybody has radios and I'll keep track of their Youki. Where do you shoot?"

"At the head." The members said quietly. This mission had already gone horribly wrong, but visions of money flashed through their heads. They had the weapons now, they had the plan. This time things would be different.

* * *

The ghoul stopped walking. For a moment, it inhaled the sweet scent of the oaks that surrounded it. Centering its mind, it felt all of the energy that pulsed around it. Beings were following it, others were up ahead. So many creatures. So much blood to spill. The one that smelled of blood was not to far away...

It grinned. Exhaling, the demon sealed its Youki tightly, and then honed in on the scent of blood. No monster would feel him approach. The hunt was on. The game has begun.

_Time to kill._

* * *

The wounded mercenary stumbled into a tree-trunk, gasping for air. His leg hurt terribly and his heart rate beat erratically. Suddenly the presence behind him faded away, almost as if it had gave up the chase.

The bait swore. He was supposed to bait the monster. He couldn't arrive at the ambush without the target. What should he do?

Backtrack? _"Oh, great idea_" the mercenary thought sarcastically. "_Lets go **towards** the freak._"

The mercenary clung to the tree, watching his bleeding leg as the bleeding started to stop as his Youki began to heal the wound. He would wait. The monster was far away, he would start moving once it came towards him again.

Little did he know, the monster was only 50 meters away, and closing in, silently and professionally.

* * *

Gin and Fong-Fong were the first ones to notice the sudden disappearance of the Ghoul's Youki.

"What happened? I can't feel the Youki anymore!" Fong-Fong yelled.

"I know that." Gin yelled back "It must have gotten distance between us. We have to catch up and track it!"

The two young men increased their pace for about a minute until a strangled cry broke the stillness of the woods. It sounded a bit like this:

"**GAAHAAAH_AAAAAAAaaaaaakkkk_**-"

"What the-?" Fong-Fong started.

"It must be one of the mercenaries. Looks like he got too close to Tsukune. In fact, from that distance, I think **we're** too close. Is it sealing it's Youki?" Gin said.

"Shit. Didn't know it could do that as well. We gotta back up and warn the others."

Both men started to move but in a flash, a mound of flesh collided Fong-Fong. The tattered remains of the mercenary stared down at Fong-Fong with a living stare as blood continued to bubble up from the wounds it its neck and torso.

"God damn!" Fong-Fong swore.

Fong-Fong threw the mercenary to the side, ignoring the blood that now stained his clothes and made him very uncomfortable. With Gin at the ready, turned to have their go at the ghoul.

"If he comes at us, I'll distract and mess with him. He can't touch a werewolf. You disengage and run like hell. One minute and I'll catch up to ya." Gin shouted.

"Okay!"

Both men prepared themselves. For a single moment, it seemed as if they were alone. It seemed that they were going to get away scotch-free.

But only for a moment.

**End**

* * *

_Next up: Fong-Fong and Gin versus the brutal freak that is Tsukune? How will our two secondary characters make it out in one piece? Stay tuned!_

**Author's** **Note**: Remember children. Review my stuff! Also, going to post a chapter every week on Monday. At August, around the 11th, I'll be gone for a week or so, so don't expect an update. Other parts of the month all be afk too. But don't worry, I'll make it up to you.


	6. Ouch!

Part** 6: Ouch!**

_Great Ghastly Ghouls! Fong-Fong and Gin have to fight Tsukune? Well, this should be interesting. Who's betting on who?_

_Also, pay attention to physical attributes here, I did my best to give my thoughts tangible descriptions and how they affected the fight._

* * *

The next turn of events that occurred seemed out of a boxing match. Each group had their own moment of introduction and reflection of the fight ahead.

So, lets try and do this sequence of events justice:

_**In the red corner...**_

"_Two under-appreciated men, each with a unique yet hindering personality that prevents them from scoring with the ladies! Ladies and Gentlemen, Teeeaaaaam BACHELOR!"_

_*_Applause, Cheering_* _(They're so _**handsome**!_)

_"First up is the incredible chick-less Chinese Mafia lord, with a height of 5'10 and weight of 154 pounds/ 69 kilograms, and a 2 foot ponytail, give it up foooorrrr **FONG-FOooooong!**"_

"Shit, **shit!**" Fong-Fong gasped. "What the hell has happened to him?"

_"Next up is the wily little werewolf of Youkai Academy, with a height of 6'2 and a weight of 190 pounds/ 86 kilograms, the "Rabid Dog" himself! Lets hear it fooooor... **GIIIIIiiiiiiin**!"_

"Fuck if I know dude," Gin muttered as he backed up, balling his hands into fists. "Just get ready to make a break for it."

"Bu-"

"No buts. He can't catch me, but he can easily get you. You have to get out of here, **now**. I don't want anyone to get hurt here."

**In the blue corner...**

_"We have a mutated demon of epic proportions, a beast with no limits, physical or mental. __He disembowels with deadly desire and mutilates with monstrous malice! Give it up for Teeeeeeaaaaaaaam GHOUL!"_

*Boos, hissing* (Team Ghoul is not a crowd favorite.)

_"Weighing at 260 pounds/ 177 kilograms and a height of 6'7, a normal human meat-bag who turned into the next incarnation of Alucard himself... **Tsukune Aonooooooo!**"_

**"SCREEEEEEEEEeeeee!"** The black figure yelled in a pitch like nails on a chalk-board, it makes your hairs stand on end and your blood run cold._  
_

*Boos and hissing dies into whimpering*

Tsukune had undergone a chilling transformation. Covered in rugged, spiked chitin plating, with glowing segments that covered his shoulders and his chest. Much like his berserk state during the Human Modification Ritual, but much more advanced.

Unlike that time, Tsukune is huge, and with some developed traits. Without the holy lock stunting his development, his mass has already surpassed Gin in weight and size. Tsukunes hands are no longer hands, but claws with jagged points designed for grabbing ahold of victims and catching them in a slicing yet vice-like grip that offers no chance of escape. The forearm is now pointed with a barb that juts out where the wrist meets the arm, creating a menacing blade that stretches down towards his elbow. His wings are sharper and more dense, rippling with power and quivering with anticipation. His feet were also pointed, sharp as a falcons talons, and armored legs that boasted pointed kneecaps and heels.

Without time for Fong-Fong to gulp, the fight began.

*Ding-ding!*

In an instant, Tsukune dashed towards Fong-Fong. Before he could get close, however, he stumbling sideways due to Gin's intervention, nailing a powerful blow to the abdomen.

"Get going!" Gin yelled, to preoccupied staring down the recovering ghoul. Fong-Fong scrambled backwards and dashed towards the exit.

"**Ghhrrrrr...**" The ghoul rumbled. Gin warily backed up a few spaces. _First he learns to seal his Youki. Now he's picking targets. How much brainpower does this thing have?_

Suddenly, Gin found himself staring straight at the ghoul's tight face. For a moment he swore there a hint of smug amusement in the sea of red malice that were Tsukune's eyes. Without even speaking a word, the ghoul was already wining the game of wits.

Once more, the ghoul lurched towards Fong-Fong's get-away trail. Once more Gin moved to intercept.

_Knock away his guard, nail him in the jaw. Get him mad. Get him occupied with me._

With werewolf precision and speed, Gin ducked under Tsukune's lazy swing and batted away the other arm with his left arm. Planting his feet, he swung his right arm up and firmly planted his elbow on Tsukune's jaw.

Speechless, the ghoul stumbled backward, with a sore chin and bloody mouth.

"Roar now, punk" Gin spat, getting distance once more.

"**GAAaaaaaaaaah!**" was the reply. _I wasn't serious..._ Gin thought darkly.

For the third time, to Gin's dismay, the ghoul moved towards Fong-Fong's trail. _The thing is consistent. Damn! I thought he'd be focused on me_ _now!_ Gin sullenly noted. _This thing **is **smart. It knows it can't pin me down._

Once more Gin moved to intercept.

_How about we try and nail his crotch? Maybe that'll have results... Nah, liver. Hit the liver. Give him something to recuperate from._

The cycle repeated. Gin moved up close. To his surprise, the ghoul seemed to accelerate at the last moment, not caring that Gin had slipped under his guard once again.

This time, Gin's fist slammed into the monsters torso with force that would definitely injure the organs within. A roar escaped Tsukune's lips, but not from the pain. As Gin moved back to escape Tsukune's reach, the ghoul brought a glowing fist down onto the ground, 3 feet from the retreating Werewolf.

Gin didn't even anticipate the Ghoul's plan, and had no chance in escaping Bakuryuujin shockwave. The explosion was ten times that of the original, leaving a smoldering crater with a 4 meter diameter and a depth of at least half a meter.

Gin was carried aloft by the explosion, and crash into a trunk of a tree. The werewolf crumbled to the ground, groaning. The brooding monster wasted no time, disappearing after Fong-Fong. The long-haired one could not warn the others and escape. The werewolf can die later.

* * *

Fong-Fong's blood ran cold when he heard the explosion. At once he realized two rather depressing facts:

A. The monster apparently was smart enough to wield at his grandfather's fighting techniques, judging from the explosion, it had used the Bakuryuujin quiet effectively.

B. The monster was probably chasing him down right about now. Gin wasn't expecting the Ghoul to use Bakuryuujin.

Fong-Fong's only vague hope was that he would be able to reach Moka and the others, where they would somehow be able to restrain the ghoul, even though it knew his grandfather's fighting techniques...

...Fong-Fong shuddered. It was quite a silly thought. _Who am I kidding, the guy's trucking Tohou's skills. We can't take him without Gin. Scratch that, I don't even think we could take him with Gin. The dude's fu-_

A sudden crash behind him jolted Fong-Fong out of his trance. Swearing, Fong-Fong turned around.

The dark, winged figure confirmed Fong-Fong's fears. It was too fast for him to out-run, and trying to run would just give it the first strike. Taking a deep breath as he mentally prepared himself, Fong-Fong did what he really, **_really_** didn't want to do.

He skidded to a halt, pulled a 180 degree turn and faced the lumbering demon. To Fong-Fong, it was like he was facing down a subway train.

The creature exploded out of the bush, headed straight for the Chinese mafia-lord-to-be. It swung its right arm at his neck, with the left arm lowered. Fong-Fong ducked past the right arm, never letting his eyes off of the left arm. Unsheathing his sword instantly, Fong-Fong crossed under Tsukune's right arm, swinging at his abdomen with all of his might.

The sudden shock of the two forces colliding rattled Fong-Fong, but he managed to continue to dash to the edge of the clear. Turning on a dime, he saw that his strike landed.

A red river of blood swelled from the flank of the beast. Screeching, the monster limped around, and for a moment Fong-Fong feared that he had caused too much damage. Even though Tsukune was a monstrous freak, he was still Tsukune, and Fong-Fong didn't intend to kill him. But just as he started to worry about his friends well-being, a hissing noise emanated from the creature, and suddenly, without hesitation, it charged again.

_Holy crap he heals quickly... _Fong-Fong glumly noted. Once again, he waited for the last moment. Once more the monster reached out with its right arm, but Fong-Fong already saw the Youkai-enhanced left. He ducked under the right arm and dashed away from the impact zone as hard as he could.

The Bakuryuujin explosion caught him and lifted him up, throwing him a few meters. Fong-Fong crashed into a bush a few meters in front of him. Ears ringing, he hauled himself up and faced his foe for yet another joust.

Faintly, Fong-Fong could sense other Youkai. He was too shell shocked to focus on specifics, and did his best to calm himself as Tsukune rushed at him once more. All he needed to do was last a few more of these brutal engagements. But could he? _I can't avoid the Bakuryuujin forever... _He thought hopelessly.

This time Tsukune came at him with the left arm, swinging it low and forcing Fong-Fong to side-step to the right. Eyes focused, Fong-Fong saw no signs that the ghoul planned to use Bakuryuujin. Its blood-red eyes never stopped staring right at him. Once more Fong-Fong lashed out with his sword.

A dull shock coursed through his arms as Fong-Fong plunged the sword into Tsukune's chest. The ghoul purposefully stepped closer and allowed itself to be implaed in the chest. Stunned, Fong-Fong realized that his sword was stuck. He wrenched it free and attempted to get much needed distance.

But the damage was done. Precious moments that Fong-Fong need to get proper distance were already gone thanks to wrenching his sword out of Tsukune's chest. The right arm came across Tsukunes body and zeroed in at his face. Fong-Fong managed to dodge the fist, but not the serrated forearm. The corse blade struck him across face and sent him tumbling.

For a moment, Fong-Fong felt almost nothing. He almost stood up, from the blow until he realized his blood that was now blinding him. The blade made a horizontal slice across his face, starting from below his left cheek bone, through his nose and right eye, and finishing at his right cheek-bone.

He could feel the dull ache of broken bones in his face, and could not open or feel his right eye. Fear coursed through him as he realized he could not fight any more.

The ghoul took its time, allowing its chest wound to heal without a trace before grasping Fong-Fong's face with its right hand and raising him high above him, slowly but surely putting pressure, as to see how much force Fong-Fong's skull could take before collapsing.

_He's going to crush my head._ Was the one lazy thought that ran through Fong-Fong's head. Through his left eye all he could see was the rage visible on the ghoul's face, yet the sadistic curiosity that gleamed from its eyes as it slowly, surely, began to squeeze.

Fong-Fong didn't want to die like this. Not killed by a friend he had grown to trust so much. As the pressure became to unbearable, Fong-Fong struggled as much as he could, planting both feet on the demons chest and jerking back his head with all of his might. The claws sliced through the skin as Fong-Fong wriggled free from the vice-like grip, falling to the floor. As he broke free, he swung out with his sword one last time, bringing the blade down on Tsukune's neck.

Fong-Fong was officially having a bad day. To compliment his horizontal gash, he now boasted 5 individual tears where Tsukune's claws used to be. Sight was now impossible, as facial muscles and tendons were injured and blood clouded both of his eyes.

But his valiant strike on Tsukune also had been effective, the sword dug deep into the ghouls collar bone, making it groan in pain and kneel to the ground.

Fong-Fong gave up the struggle and fell unconscious, and I don't think anyone can blame him for that.

But our antagonist already began to recover, wrenching out Fong-Fong's penny-sword and letting the hissing take place as its Shinsho blood kick into overdrive.

The ghoul took a deep breath, grunted, and began to stand up. The long-haired boy was finally down, and finally, it was time to end it. He would crush his skull beneath his foot and then take care of the quick one, who was still dozing off a hundred meters back.

If the ghoul could, it would have grinned. But before it could gloat, a sudden surge of energy diverted its attention. Wheeling around, the monster screeched in anger as its nemesis returned.

The quick one, otherwise known as Gin, wasn't still dozing off after all, and landed a massive punch right between Tsukune's eyes before he even had a moment to react. Gin landed dozens of equally punishing blows to the monster's frame, backing off as the ghoul attempted a dazed swing to get him away. Suddenly, Gin was up in the ghoul's face again, landing blow after blow to its abdomen and jaw. Howling in rage, the ghoul swung once more, forcing Gin to back up.

Gin landed by Fong-Fong's unconscious body. The time for trying to divert attention was over. Fong-Fong was seriously hurt and Gin had a number of aches all over his body from the Bakuryuujin. He mentally cursed himself for his inability to prevent this.

A moment of silence fell over the two duelists. Neither showed any emotion, but Gin's fists were shaking with anger and the ghoul's wings quivered with irritation. Its red eyes flickered with pure menace, while Gin's eyes were dark and filled with rage. Time almost stood still between the two foes.

The moment of silence ended with a snap of a twig and a jingle of metal. To absorbed in the staring contest, Gin and Tsukune suddenly realized the masses of Youkai had surrounded them. Suddenly, on both sides of the wood, backup arrived from every possible location. Kurumu, Moka and Mizore on Gin's right, Kokoa, Ruby and Yukari on Gin's left.

Moka held a jingling chain close to her body, her eyes widening as she saw what Tsukune had become. Kurumu took a sharp breath. Ruby nearly stumbled backwards in surprise and Kokoa gave a squeak of fear. None of the girls had seen Tsukune in such a malicious state.

Tsukune eyes also widened, and to Gin's amazement a look of fear mixed with the rage in its face as it recognized the Holy Lock. Silently, it took two steps backwards, and disappeared into the forest once more.

Gin did not try to pursue him. He felt the pain in his bones, and knew that there would be another time.

He fell to the ground in exhaustion, letting the girls rush to attend him and Fong-Fong. Next time would be different.

It must be different.

* * *

**Author's Note**:

First off:

**Holy crap** I'm sorry for the delay. But hey, real life intrudes, sometimes I can't help it.

And, sadly, it may be intruding a lot more in the future. But I've got this thing pretty much planned out, which is good. Its just a matter of putting together pieces and trying to avoid plot holes. Enjoy this latest chapter, it may take a bit longer for the next one to come on out. Just so you know.

Preview: _So Gin and Fong-Fong are down, what is going to happen next? Well, at least the gang is all together now!_


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